🎾 The National Tennis Centre is the place to be for the Lexus Junior National Championships U18 Finals Day featuring some of the brightest prospects in British tennis.
NEWSFLASH: The 2024 Junior National Championships are a wrap! Check out our TENNIS section here for more events coming up in or around the capital.
CONGRATULATIONS to the 2024 Lexus Junior National Championships U18 winners, pictured below. Mime Xu claimed the U18 Girls Singles title beating Hannah Klugman 6-7(4) 7-6(7) 6-4. Xu saved two match points on her way to victory. In the U18 Boys, Oliver Bonding justified his status as favourite beating Charlie Robertson 6-3 3-6 6-4 in the final.
Mimi Xu GS 18 Winner & Oliver Bonding BS 18 Winner | Photos: Kane Smith
2024 EVENT PREVIEW
Four players will have earned the right to play on the show court at the National Tennis Centre today, each with an opportunity to follow in the footsteps of some famous names in British tennis. Andy Murray, Heather Watson, Dan Evans, Anne Keothavong, Jack Draper, Harriet Dart, Jamie Murray, Jo Durie and Sue Barker are all previous winners at the Junior National Championships.
The U18 Finals Day on Friday 12 April is a unique opportunity to see the tennis stars of tomorrow, today! The U18 Girls Singles and U18 Boys Singles finals take place back-to-back with the action starting at 10am. Each final will feature player introductions and presentations. Ball Girls and Ball Boys from the Wimbledon Championships will be on duty.
The stakes are high for the finalists. Along with a national title the two winners receive a wild card into the Wimbledon Qualifying Tournament in June, as well as a guaranteed place in the Junior Championship at Wimbledon in July.
The finals take place on Court 3 at the National Tennis Centre. There is a seating area for spectators overlooking the court and a café (with a terrace area) serving food and drinks just a short distance away (see pictures below).
👀 Read on for the ‘ones to watch’ who could feature in the finals, and how you can register for a free ticket! 👇
JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS – ONES TO WATCH
All of the top 20 girls and 18 of the top 20 boys have entered the Lexus Junior National Championships U18s events. These include:
– Isabelle Lacy (reigning 18U national champion)
– Hannah Klugman (reigning 16U national champion)
– Mime Xu (2022 16U & 18U national champion)
– Ben Gusic Wan (reigning 16U national champion)
– Olly Bonding (recent winner of J500 Blumenau-Brazil. 1st British boy since George Morgan in 2010 to win a J500 singles title, and only the 4th in history).
– Viktor Frydrych (runner-up in Australian Open junior doubles event 2024)
5 of the girls have current WTA ranking (Hannah Klugman WTA638. Isabelle Lacy WTA679. Mime Xu WTA721. Mika Stojsavljevic WTA 871. Hephzibah Oluwadare WTA 1176)
1 of the boys has a current ATP ranking (reigning 18U boys doubles national champion Charlie Robertson ATP 1144)
18U girls – 5 are currently inside the top 100 junior ITF world rankings (Hannah Klugman 6. Mime Xu 11. Isabelle Lacy 63. Mika Stojsavljevic 29. Hephzibah Oluwadare 62. Gabia Paskauskas 93)
18U boys – 4 are currently inside the top 50 junior ITF world rankings (Oliver Bonding 14. Viktor Frydrych 27. Charlie Robertson 45. Ben Gusic Wan 47)
BOYS’ 18U draw will appear here in full once published.
GIRLS’ U18 draw will appear here in full once published.
Who will be crowned the U18 champions for 2024 and state their claims as potential British stars of the future? All will be revealed at the National Tennis Centre on Friday 12 April. Register for your ticket now to take your seat courtside for the finals!
TICKETS, TIMINGS & TRAVEL
Spectating at the Lexus Junior National Championships U18s Finals Day is free. Advance registration is required to facilitate entry on the day. Email richard.joyner@lta.org.uk with ‘Junior National Championships Finals’ in the subject box to register your interest. When emailing please confirm the size of your party.
🎾 Play starts at 10am and consists of the U18 Girls Singles and U18 Boys Singles finals. Play will finish around 2pm, depending on the length of the matches.
🚊 🚗 Travel tips: Entry to the National Tennis Centre (map here) is via the entrance gate on Priory Lane. The nearest railway station is Barnes (with connections to Clapham Junction and London Waterloo). This is a short taxi ride or approximately a 15-minute walk to the venue. Alternatively, take the London Underground to East Putney station (on the District Line) and then the 337 bus alighting at Rosslyn Park RFC. From there it’s a 10-minute walk to the centre. Plan your journey at the Transport for London website. The venue has limited parking onsite. There is some street parking available on nearby Bank Lane.
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